The motif
Very picturesque high ruin walls characterise Hohnstein Castle. Nature and the ruins create an idyllic harmony. That is exactly what the unknown artist felt and therefore let go of accuracy. Because of this, the exact spot where the painter stood cannot be determined. We might choose the courtyard of the upper castle beneath the old beech tree, which could be a descendant of the slender trees seen in the etching. There are wide views everywhere, not only from the rebuilt keep.
The castle was the ancestral seat of the Lords of Hohnstein, who gained a leading position in the Southern Harz during the 13th century. Their influence extended to Scharzfeld and Lauterberg in the west, Rothenburg and Artern in the east, and Sondershausen in the south. Yet the family eventually declined and died out. Hohnstein passed to the Lords of Stolberg, who expanded the castle into one of the largest in the Harz. With the development of cannons during the Thirty Years’ War, that era came to an end. Today, besides the romantic ruins, a guesthouse with a panoramic terrace and beautiful deciduous forests with winding paths attract visitors, with the lovely Neustadt lying below.
